


Loves Me, Loves Me Not

by SpringZephyr



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Bisexuality, Coming Out, Izumi's not so nice about it at first, M/M, Pining, like he just doesn't know when to shut up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23393890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringZephyr/pseuds/SpringZephyr
Summary: Kaoru has a confession, and Izumi is a skeptic with a penchant for making people angry.
Relationships: Hakaze Kaoru/Sena Izumi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Loves Me, Loves Me Not

**Author's Note:**

> I've never attempted to write EnStars before, which makes this more of a drabble than a well-planned fic.

He heard Kaoru's sharp intake. Izumi wasn't looking at Kaoru, but he heard the way he inhaled, deep and long, even though the autumn air was cold. It stung Izumi's lungs like knives, but maybe, he thought, tugging his scarf a little higher, Kaoru was somehow immune to such things.

Lucky bastard.

"I… I might be bi?"

"Bye?" Izumi asked. "Like you're saying good bye to something?"

Kaoru scoffed, like he couldn't believe Izumi had misheard him. Which only went to show that he had no consideration for Izumi, and -

Izumi retracted that last thought, about Kaoru not feeling cold. He obviously did. It was making him talk crazy.

"You know what I mean," Kaoru hissed.

He was so obviously trying to avoid saying it again, that Izumi can't help but force it. "I'm sorry, but I didn't hear what you said at all," he replied, fully aware of how cheeky he sounded.

Getting under people's skins was not a talent that Izumi was proud of, but at the same time, there are people less compassionate than himself who are going to be far crueler to Kaoru, if this happens to be his newest attention-starved phase. The jury was still debating about whether or not Kaoru was trying to be serious, or if someone just needed to buy him a damn hat and a thicker jacket before he suffered any further delirium.

Still not looking at Kaoru, he can hear the way the other boy's voice thickens. "I said…" he swallowed. "I did some thinking, and I might… be bisexual?"

"Right." The word came out a little more tersely than Izumi had intended. "So what, you wanna make out a little?"

And that caused Kaoru to finally snap. "Thank you for your understanding."

It wasn't genuine at all. It sounded angry and hurt, and well -

Izumi chose to focus on the part of him that believed Kaoru was never genuine in the first place. Something they had in common.

"You must be real lonely if you're coming onto me, is all. If you wanna kiss, that's fine. I can help you 'figure yourself out' for as long as you need."

Kaoru was a good kisser, he betted. Experienced. A little desperate, but apparently so was he. It had been a while since his last boyfriend.

"And why would you assume that was all I'm after?" the blond accused.

His tone was sharp.

"Because you're…" Izumi faltered, the words cut short by the edge in Kaoru's voice. He exhaled, and tried again. "You've never…"

If someone were to hand Izumi a shovel and tell him to unbury himself from the hole he'd dug himself into, he would politely thank them and continue to dig a few feet deeper. There was too much honesty in Kaoru's voice. Izumi wasn't good at honesty.

Damn it, he really just wanted to tell Kaoru to buy a proper hat and some gloves. Even if he wasn't going crazy, it wouldn't have hurt the guy to worry about his physical health a little more. Or his career. What kind of idol met their fans with chapped hands?

"What happened to Mitsuko?" Izumi asked finally.

"We broke up two months ago."

"Sachi?"

"It didn't mean anything."

"How about Fuuka?"

" _Who_?" Kaoru stopped walking. "Look, if you're not going to take this seriously…"

Izumi stopped a footstep ahead of Kaoru. He waited for a continuation.

It never arrived.

"Why would you pick me, of all people, to tell this to?" Izumi asked.

Maybe Kaoru was being serious. In which case, Izumi would be doing him a favor, trying to deter him.

That was what Izumi tried to convince himself of, anyway.

"Because you're the person who made me realize this!" Kaoru replied, exasperated.

"How flattering."

"I like _you_!"

The real kicker was that not even Izumi liked himself. Not all of the time.

Izumi clicked his tongue. "You can't even maintain a relationship with a girl."

"You still don't believe me?"

Izumi brushed off his comment, too far in running his mouth already to stop. "I know guys are easy, but - "

" _Shut up_."

He listened.

For once in his life, Izumi stopped talking before his words could reach the finish line.

Then he made the mistake of looking directly into Kaoru's eyes for the first time since this conversation had started.

"...At least take me on a date first," Izumi mumbled, faltering again. That was his version of apologizing.

He was such a fuck up.

So was Kaoru. Of course Kaoru had to pick the most venomous person in school to realize his gay baby feelings for.

Here he was, getting all excited over the thought of a casual make out session, and it hadn't even occurred to him that Kaoru might be serious. No, it had - but Izumi wouldn't let himself believe it. Kaoru and himself? Never would have seen it coming. Not in a million years.

Kissing Kaoru a few times would have been good enough. He could have thrived on just that.

At the very least, it would have never given Izumi the opportunity to casually throw one of Kaoru's biggest insecurities right in his face. Izumi liked crossing lines, but even he could tell when he'd gone too far. Kaoru was a romantic at heart.

Izumi glowered at the ground, where he couldn't see the hurt on Kaoru's face anymore. Clenched his fists and wondered if he should try harder to give Kaoru the apology he deserved.

"Like, with a romantic dinner and everything," he continued grumbling.

"So you're willing to try?" Kaoru asked, hopeful.

"If you are."

"I am!" Some of the edge returned, but like - in a good way, if that was possible. Kaoru didn't sound nearly as angry as he could have been. He sounded determined. "I'll make it the best first date you've ever had," he promised.

In spite of himself, Izumi smirked a little.

"Dinner is on me," Kaoru added, "and at the end, I might even kiss you."

"There had better be a kiss involved," Izumi replied.

If this relationship was going to work, they would both have to be a little more honest. And what Izumi honestly wanted to do was kiss Kaoru a lot.


End file.
